The Weary Traveler
by JMaine
Summary: It was a dark and stormy night (like in all great adventures) when the weary traveler happened upon Horrible Howl's moving castle. Follow a story of love, danger, revenge, and magic in the world of Ingary. NOTE: I do not own ANY of the Howl's Moving Castle characters or world. Also, rating is subject to change. Please feel free to leave a review, too! :)
1. Chapter 1

_I own my OCs - Howl's Moving Castle and its characters, the land of Ingary, etc are clearly NOT mine. _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 1: The Weary Traveler**

Thunder rumbled across the rain-soaked, barren lands of the Waste. A small, hooded traveler braced themselves against the wind; the grand effort expended at protecting their body from the ballistic nature of the weather was laughable at this point. No shawl, umbrella, or outercoat would save their body from the unrelenting wind and rain out in the Waste. The terrible, charcoal clouds growled fiercely overhead as vibrant streaks of lightning lit up the sky.

The wind shifted abruptly and with such vigor, the traveler lost their balance as well as their shawl. "Damn it!" the traveler grunted into the wind, shaking their fist at the sky for good measure. A mistake, surely, as Mother Nature took it as a challenge and responded with a deafening clap of thunder that rattled the traveler's bones and drew out an audible scream.

Using the boulders and rocks for support, the traveler continued to negotiate the unkempt grass. The traveler continued, with no sense of direction; just the faintly burning hope of happening upon a dimly lit home to wait out the rest of the storm. Their body ached, knees sore and thighs quivering from exhaustion. Twenty-two miles walked today, the last five through this brutal weather. With each gust of wind, the traveler realized just how cold and tired their body was.

Another misstep paired with the ferocious wind sent the traveler crashing towards the earth. The abrupt decent resulted in a direct collision with a boulder; a faint crack and sharp pain erupted from the right side of the traveler's rib cage. A flood of curses flowed from the traveler's lips as they rolled away from the rock that assaulted them. _This is it_, the traveler conceded dramatically, _I'm lost in the Waste – They'll discover me once this damn storm has past! Silly girl of Market Chipping, thinking she could leave her master with no planning or worldly experience. Oh_, _joy that will bring him…._

Then, there was hope.

A light cut through the terror of the storm, spotted out of the corner of the traveler's eye. Squinting hard, the traveler used a hand to shield their eyes from the rain. Was it real? They couldn't second guess themself at this point. Crouching low and clutcher her wounded rib with their left hand, the traveler picked their way towards the light. Finally, the traveler made their way to the door and grasped the railings under the stoop firmly. Breathing heavily, they took in the scene around them.

Finally sheltered from the onslaught of the weather of the Waste, the traveler noticed the metal pillars holding up the structure. Nay, not pillars, four bird-like appendages complete with knees and talons for each leg. The belly of the beast was huge, mechanical, and somewhat spectacular. Then, it clicked. They had been traveling in the Waste. This structure was no doubt the metal-beast roaming about the Waste that was home to none other than the horrible wizard Howl.

The traveler was stunned. After several minutes of being completely confounded, she burst out in hysterical laughter. _Of course_, she thought. _I won't die in the Waste – that would be too fortunate and too simple for me! I'm going to have my heart eaten by Horrible Howl!_

Then the aching, squealing of metal hinges and the hiss of steam reached the traveler's ears. The stoop of the castle shook and rose off the ground, forcing both of her cold, numb fingers to grasp the railings more firmly. The castle rocked with each forceful step the metal beast took, like a fishing boat caught in turbulent waters. Fearing the potential fall to the rocky terrain below, the traveler took a breath and opened the sturdy wood door of Horrible Howl's, admittedly fantastic, moving castle.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hello readers! This is my first Howl's Moving Castle fanfic – I hope you enjoy. I have been on quite the hiatus from writing fanfics (haven't done it since high school... EEEK)BUT I am excited to give it another go. I'm not quite sure how far I'm going to go with this story, it just kind of came to me today, so I figured I'd at least start it, right?

I love hearing people's opinions and suggestions, so please feel free to read and review. I only ask for you to constructive AND kind please and thank you 3 I would like to be able to update AT LEAST once per week, but if there are some weeks the creative juices ain't flowin'… well, have patience for little ol' me

Thank you for taking the time to read and enjoy – I'm honored you took the time to read my story.

Best wishes,

JMaine


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Out of the Frying Pan and Meeting the Fire

He had a habit of feeling sorry for lost and weary souls out in the Waste. It hadn't happened for quite some time, you see. The castle was lonely, though no longer dusty and full of cobwebs as it had once been. Calcifer knew he'd probably regret stopping, especially since the last stray didn't end so well. Of course, little girls get swept away by princes all the time, but when it happens to Horrible Howl - Well, the result is just…

Horrible.

Calcifer groaned inwardly at himself. See? His jokes were just as stale as the bread Markl left out of the breadbox. You would think the boy, nay – the young man of fourteen would understand that when you want toast in the morning that doesn't feel like sawdust in your mouth you should probably put the bread in the –

He heard the scream of the poor soul he had sensed wondering the Waste. With a sigh and a tightness in his chest, he eased the castle down to the earth. _Who in their right mind would be out in a storm like this, eh?_ The fallen star thought with as much sass as he could muster. _Maybe they will dare to enter Horrible Howl's lair, oh what fun…_

He noted the soft footsteps on the landing followed by deep, wheezing, exhausted breaths. Calcifer froze – _what happens when she opens the door? Will she choose to stay? What if Howl comes downstairs…. What if she drips water on me? Do I say hello? Do I act like a normal flame in a hearth? Well, that's an obvious yes. What if she wakes Howl up? That CAN'T happen… he doesn't wake up for anything… he doesn't DO anything for that matter! What if she burns the place down? What if she's…_

Calcifer nearly jumped out of his hearth when he heard the musical sound of the traveler's laughter at the door. It was the wild, over-tired laughter of a child up far past bedtime.

_Well,_ Calcifer mused to himself, _I can't stay parked here forever. Either she's in, or she's out!_

And with a fantastical spark, Calcifer raised the castle's belly and started a steady march through the Waste. It wasn't long before the hinges of the magical door sighed and groaned as the weary traveler made her way into the room.

The traveler's shoes made damp taps on the stone stairs as she slowly made her way up to the main room. Her long hair was plastered to her forehead, cheeks, and neck and her clothes clung to her body as she dripped all over the floor. She seemed to notice her disheveled appearance and quickly descended the stairs, opening the front door. She returned within minutes, smoothing out the ends of her skirt. _A girl after my own heart,_ Calcifer sighed, _wringing out her clothes so she won't put me out! What a dear…_

The traveler continued to stand, dumbly, at the top of the stairs. Her jaw slack in amazement, hands firmly clutching her right side. She was wincing – no doubt an injury she sustained wandering aimlessly in the Waste. She noted the sleeping body in the bed to her right, she peered over and seemed satisfied with the depth of the person's slumber. After another long minute of standing there shivering, the traveler made her way to the hearth. She sat at the edge of the plain wooden chair, stretching her slender arms forward towards the flames. Her fingers were a ghostly-white and pruned.

Now that the traveler was so close, Calcifer peered over the log to take her in with more detail. Her skin was fair with freckles dotted across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks, like stars in the sky. Her eyes were a sharp, emerald green and her wet hair caught glimmers of gold and red in the firelight. Her nose was elegant and her lips were a deep pink against her chilled skin. As the traveler sat by the fire, he noticed a warmth returning to her cheeks. She was young, most likely not past her 20th year in this world. Despite her tired, heavy eyelids, Calcifer could see a mischievous glimmer in her eyes and the hint of a smirk cross her lips as they began to move…

"Are you going to keep watching me, or are you going to introduce yourself?"

Calcifer froze – she couldn't possibly be talking to him! He glanced over to the Witch of the Waste's snoozing body, unresponsive to the new guest in the house. He quickly peeked over to the stairs and was terrified to see that no one was there. Calcifer then met the gaze of the young woman before him.

"I am speaking to you, you know – the least you could do is give me a reply for being so clever! I think I earned that much," the traveler pouted as she spoke.

Calcifer brought himself up onto the log, shaking the dumbfounded look off his tired face. "You know, you look pretty crazy talking to a fire, lady!"

The traveler gave a tired smile and scooted her chair closer, and placed her elbows on the stone edge of the hearth. "You didn't answer my question, little fire… Are you going to tell me your name or am I going to have to give you one?"

"'Little fire,' she says… I am the great and powerful fire dea- ahem…"Calcifer stopped himself abruptly, this introduction felt too familiar and made the heart fluttering beneath the oak log ache. "My name is Calcifer, I am the demon that protects and moves this hunk of junk."

She sat there thoughtfully for a moment, "So you're the one who let me in?"

"Of course I am the one who let you in!" Calcifer whispered harshly. "You think Horrible Howl himself would let a river-rat like you in this place? You're absolutely soaked! You're dripping on my hearth!"

The traveler gasped and pulled back quickly, which resulted in a sharp intake a breath and a grimace. Calcifer watched as she clutched her ribs and composed herself. "I just wanted to thank you, Calcifer, for giving me shelter from the storm. I was so tired, you see, I had just about given up!" A small smile graced her face, followed by a shiver so intense she felt it in her bones.

"Hey, you need to change your clothes, kid," The fire demon said, seriously. "If you look to the right, there's a…. spare bedroom there. You might find an old night shirt or two that will keep you from getting a fever and dying on me before the morning."

"Thank you, Calcifer," the traveler said sweetly, giving a slight curtsy after rising from the chair. "Are you sure I'm not imposing myself on you? I wouldn't want to cause an issue with Master Howl…"

"I can promise you a warm bed for the evening, kid, after that it's up to Howl. I can't promise you'll get the same warm welcome you got from me," the fire demon stated matter-of-factly, flames licking the logs around him. The girl nodded, gave another small curtsy, took a deep breath for courage and made her way to the room.

"Hey, kid," said Calcifer, "You got a name or somethin'?"

She turned from the door and smiled, "My name is Magnolia, but you can call me Maggie."

"Sleep well, Maggie," Calcifer said as the young traveler closed the door behind her. "Hopefully we can get you out of here before Howl does anything rash in the morning."

* * *

Author's Note:

Hello Readers!

Yikes – I'm assuming I have any…. Clearly, I am having a hard time going to bed and I'm just blasting out another chapter… woohoo! Some of the themes are very familiar to the movie/book – I realize that. Trust me, it won't just be the story re-written with an OC. I just need Calcifer, Howl, and Markl to have to deal with the familiarity of it all and grow a little…. Y'know what I mean.. right? :)

I hope you're enjoying the story so far, as always please read and review… and maybe even recommend? Keep it positive, keep it constructive – I appreciate you all!

Happy Reading,

JMaine


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Maggie closed the door gently behind her, leaning heavily against it with a sigh. She silently thanked Calcifer as she explored the room she'd be borrowing for the evening. The rain hit heavily against the long row of windows to her left. The lamp was lit, and Maggie made her way over to the dresser drawers. She kicked out of her soaked boots, spread the laces apart and pulled the tongue forward. _Best let them dry out tonight so they aren't completely useless in the morning,_ Maggie thought. She proceeded to remove her stockings and bloomers, hanging her clothes on the bed posts, chairs, and whatever else she could find.

As she pulled open the drawers and found a ridiculous amount of long white shirts. At first, she thought they were nightgowns. Upon further inspection, she found they were simply men's shirts. Panic set in as she held one of the shirts numbly in front of her. _This isn't Howl's room, is it? Did Calcifer let me in so he could feed me up to Howl?! 'Here master, caught a little thing out in the Waste, sorry there's not much meat on her but her heart will do, right?' Oh damn it all!_

Maggie swallowed hard. _Look, not much you can do now, Mags. You entered the home of Horrible Howl to escape the storm, cowboy up and go to bed!_

Her mental pep-talk was interrupted by a fit on sneezing. She peeled off the outer layer of her dress, followed by the under-dress and petticoat beneath. The white fabric of her under-layers nearly translucent from rain. She pulled the white shirt overhead to find herself swimming in an excess of fabric. The shirt fell to just above her knees, and she focused her still numb fingers on fastening two of the three buttons at the neck of her shirt. She took a deep breath, and caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror on the other side of the room.

_Oh no,_ Maggie giggled to herself. _River-rat was a compliment, Calcifer, I look absolutely ridiculous._

Her hair was a dark, reddish nest of ridiculous, weather-forced curls and tangles. Maggie pulled up the bottom of the shirt to examine the damage from her fall. Light abrasions covered her hands and bruises were blossoming on her legs. Walking closer to the mirror to inspect her rib, she groaned at the sight of the dark purple and blue bruise glaring back at her in the mirror. She lowered the shirt, ran her hands through her hair and shook out the excess water the best she could. Maggie pulled back the down comforter and sheets on the bed. She crawled into the warmth of the mattress and blankets. _What am I going to do now?_ She thought as she pulled the blankets up to her shoulders. Sleep overtook her as soon as her head touched the pillow, leaving very little time for contemplation or planning.

Calcifer grabbed another log and dragged it into the hearth. The storm was clearing up out in the Waste, the dark ominous clouds gaining a lighter hue with touches of pink and orange in the horizon. Some early morning light filtered through the windows of the castle, bringing a sort of ethereal stillness about the room. Calcifer nestled himself between the logs in a moment of silent reflection. _Magnolia, what have you gotten yourself into?_ Calcifer thought, _More importantly, what have you gotten _me_ into?_

The moment of peace was brief, as Calcifer heard the footsteps of his master passing overhead and towards the stairs. Howl was awake, and descended the stairs to start his day. Howl stopped at the bottom of the stairs, staring intently at the door. His icy eyes narrowed, as he shifted his gaze towards _her_ room. The lamp was lit – he saw the faint golden glow through the bottom of the door. He didn't need to be a powerful wizard to know something was amiss in the house.

"Calcifer," Howl's voice carried with an undoubtable sternness, nearly a growl that didn't rise above a whisper. "Who did you let into our house this evening?"

Calcifer breathed in deeply, winding up his pitch, "A weary and injured traveler, Howl, from the Waste. She –"

"We agreed that there would be no more strays welcome in this house, Calcifer, or have you forgotten?" Interrupted Howl, with a coolness that could have put out Calcifer's flame.

"Howl, you don't have to treat her like an animal," Calcifer chastised. "She was hurt, she was cold, and I let her in. She's kind, Howl, and appreciative. It wouldn't hurt if more people around here would say thank you occasionally…"

Howl merely turned away with a swish of his blond-again hair and glided elegantly towards _her_ room. Calcifer whispered protests and pleaded with him to leave the girl be, which he adamantly ignored. He slowly turned the knob, and guided the door open with absolute silence. Howl entered the room and stood near the bed of the young girl snuggled up in the quilted blankets. Her hair was spread around the pillow and across her face. Howl reached forward and gently moved her hair away from her face.

_What were you thinking, Calcifer,_ Howl thought to himself. _Letting a young, untrained witch into our house?_

Howl walked towards the lamp, and carefully lowered the wick and smothered the flame. He pulled the curtains shut, keeping the sun's early morning rays from waking the sleeping traveler. Continuing with his silent trend, Howl exited the room, closing the door with a quite click behind him.

The tall, blonde wizard donned his flamboyant, pink coat and moved more logs to Calcifer's hearth. He walked over to the cupboards of magical supplies and began putting together a concoction as he spoke.

"You will tell our guest she has to earn her keep if she is going to stay with us," Howl stated, firmly. "She is responsible for the upkeep of her room. She will ensure Markl and the witch are fed, keep you aflame, and help Markl with our customers."

"So, she can stay?" Hope rang through Calcifer's voice.

Howl looked to his oldest friend, taking a deep breath, "Like I said, she has to earn her keep. And you, Calcifer, you alone will be responsible for any trauma she brings upon this family. Oh, and you have to explain this to Markl. I'm afraid he won't be pleased about your decision to add another apprentice to my schedule. He won't like to share."

Howl walked towards the door, turned the dial to the black quarter-piece, and left. "Calcifer, make sure the girl gets the salve I've made," He gestured nonchalantly towards the table. "It will help with those ridiculous bruises." He left and the door shut tightly behind him. The dial returned from black to green.

Calcifer let out a large, heavy sigh that sent soot and ash off the hearth and onto the floor. There was still a few hours before Markl would wake, and at least two more until the Witch of the Waste started demanding breakfast. _How many hours until Maggie woke up?_ Caclifer wondered. _How long does she dare to sleep in a stranger's home? Considering the state she arrived in, I doubt she has much volitional control over how much sleep she will get. _Calcifer bemused.

_Well, _Calcifer reclined into the oak logs, _Now what?_

* * *

Happy Memorial Day! Here's Chapter three for you :) Let me know how you feel/what ya think!

Best,

JMaine


	4. UPDATE

Hello Readers!

I apologize for not updating this past week; there was a death in the family and relatives were staying at my house that I don't usually see! I have been picking away at the next few chapters so hopefully I will get an update to you either today or tomorrow. I apologize for falling behind, we just didn't think it would happen this soon. But we are all doing our best to move forward and celebrate the pretty amazing life of my grandfather. :)

So give the story a follow, chapter 4 is almost ready! Thank you for continuing to enjoy Maggie's journey in the depths of Howl's Castle :)

Much love,

JMaine


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Mad Hatters, Breakfast and the Wardrobe

Markl awoke to the colors of early morning splashing through his window. The rain had stopped, and the storm that had wrecked so much havoc in the Wastes seemed to have ended its renegade. Markl arched his back and separated his toes in a satisfying stretch, receiving grateful pops and crackles throughout his spine. There had been a lot of changes in the castle over the past four years. Markl's chores started early, cleaning the castle, starting breakfast, and preparing for their customers. Needless to say, it was time to start the day.

Rising from the bed, Markl donned fresh pants and a shirt, tucking the excess fabric in and securing its placement with a brown leather belt. He shuffled into his brown leather boots and made his way into the hall. _Upstairs first, then down_, Markle thought to himself. _That way the Witch won't hassle me right away…_

Markle swept away the start of cobwebs and disposed of the few dust bunnies surviving in the castle. The building itself is in impeccable shape – he didn't let the cleanliness of their home go down the drain just because _she _left.

When he was satisfied, Markl headed to the main room of the castle. He found the Witch still asleep snoring loudly, with Calcifer blowing smoke rings towards her attempting to ring the Witch's nose.

"Good mornin', Calcifer," Markl said with a deep yawn.

"Hey, Kid – you got a lot of spells to catch up on, y'know. We'll be getting a ring at the Kindsberry door in an hour or so. Busy day," Calcifer said in a lazy tone, draping himself across the full length of the log in the hearth.

"Master Howl already left? I thought he was going to stick around and help out," the disappointment in Markl's tone was thick as he made his way towards the cabinets of magical trinkets and designs. He was an apprentice after all, when was he going to have a teacher again? It had been four years since the incident; though it was hard on everyone, Markl thought things would have gone back to normal by now.

He couldn't be more wrong.

Howl became all he was rumored to be and more once Sophie left them to live her life at the palace with Prince Justin. She tried to stay around the castle, but eventually Howl's antics wore through her patience and used up her compassion. Who was there to catch her but the persistently loyal Prince Justin. Markl shivered, _I thought the reaction when Sophie organized the bathroom was bad…. When she left it was just - Horrible._

Howl prowled the land of Ingary meeting beautiful people and ruining relationships everywhere. He's stolen wives from their husbands, caused multiple failed engagements, and left a trail of broken hearts in his wake. Months later, Markl came downstairs to find that Howl gave his heart back to Calcifer. Now, he disappears into the black portal instead of ruining the lives of happy lovers. An improvement, in Markl's eyes.

Making potions and creating spells gives Markl time away from anxious and worried thoughts about his master's whereabouts. After an hour or so, the Witch of the Waste began to stir, cuing Markle to switch gears to make breakfast.

"Markl," he heard the Witch groan from the bed. "I don't smell any bacon baking!"

Markl rolled his eyes, "Make it yourself, you old piece of –"

"I hope you're not complaining, dear, I'm really not in the mood for your youthful attitude," the Witch chided, sitting up in her bed.

"You know we can't have bacon and eggs, Granny," Markle said, gritting his teeth. "It's the castle special: bread and jam. You know Calcifer won't cook for me. You can give it a try if you're so dissatisfied."

The Witch grunted from her bed, "Get the damn bread then. You're absolutely useless."

Calcifer sighed and rolled his eyes, "Thank you for moving the castle, Calcifer! Oh Calcifer, thank you for making sure I never take a cold bath or freeze my toes and fingers off at night! Calcifer you're just the – "

The door in the far corner of the room creaked open, revealing a very tired young woman with strawberry-blonde hair falling in messy tendrils around her freckled face. She was wearing one of the old shirts Howl had stored away in that room, it's hem falling just above her knees. She rubbed her eyes like a child then paused, feeling the weight of several eyes on her.

"Who are you?" Markl all but shouted.

Magnolia started, "I am – you see, Calcifer – I was…"

Markl stood there gaping at the young girl. The Witch of the Waste hobbled her way over to the girl, cane ticking the ground every-other step. "Oh, hello dear – I'm sorry the boy is so rude," the Witch casted a heavy glare onto Markl. She clasped Maggie's hands in her own and continued looking eagerly into her eyes, "You can call me Granny, love. And that ridiculous _boy_ over there is Markl – it seems you are already acquainted with Cal?" The Witch gestured to the fire demon yawning puffs of ash as the introductions unfolded before him.

Maggie blinked several times with her mouth ajar, "I'm Maggie –"

"Oh, what a lovely name!" shouted the Witch as she twirled Maggie around in a small circle. She stopped suddenly and pulled Maggie closer to her. "You would not be here to steal Mr. Howl's secrets, right? I hear he does terrible things to little girls that weasel their ways into the castle…"

Maggie gulped, fearful for a moment and shook her head. "I only came to seek shelter from the storm in the Waste! I have no desire to ever steal anything from any-"

"Oh wonderful!" the Witch clapped with excitement, giddy like a child. "You must stay for breakfast – and maybe tea too? And why not lunch while you're here?!"

A nervous giggle escaped Maggie's dry lips. _She's absolutely insane_! She thought to herself. _How on Earth did I let myself spend the night here?!_

Maggie turned her gaze back to Markl who happened to be giving her a brief look over. His eyes jumped to meet hers than abruptly shifted to something much more interesting on the floor, a blush heavy on his cheeks. Maggie, then mortified, remembered she was in nothing but an oversized men's shirt.

"Um, I best be getting ready for the day," She said shyly, giving herself a tight, insecure hug.

Markl nodded and turned away, "Yeah, alright then."

Maggie all but sprinted into the bedroom, leaning heavily on the door as she clicked it shut. Taking several deep breaths to overcome her overwhelming embarrassment regarding her current wardrobe, her heart sank as she saw her clothes still dripping with rainwater. She gulped, took a deep breath through her nose and opened the door just enough to stick her head out.

She was pleased to find Granny hovering over Markl's shoulder, both of their backs turned to her. She looked over and saw Calcifer chewing a log greedily.

"Pst! Calcifer!"

The fire demon, log halfway devoured in his mouth, turned and looked at the timid girl. "eh?" he said, continuing to work his way through the log.

"Are there, oh I don't know, any clothes that I could borrow while mine dry?" She pouted a little, hoping the added desperation would entice the fire demon to give her aid.

A mischievous gleam entered Calcifer's eyes, "Help yourself to anything in the drawers."

Maggie mouthed a thank you as she quickly retreated into the room to scavenge for appropriate and dry apparel. She opened drawers and found oversized men's shirts in abundance, some colorful cloaks with ridiculously flamboyant designs. _I can't wear any of these! I'll look like a prized peacock_.

She made her way to the drawers located in the farthest corner of the room. She found some high-waist, black fitted trousers that looked to belong to the boy Markl before his growth spurt and some simple white tunic shirts. She laid the clothes out on the bed, placed her hands on her hips and donned the clothes.

To her surprise, the fit wasn't all that bad. She tucked the shirt and left the neckline laced but not tied. She pulled out her boots, which were (thankfully) dry and borrowed a pair of neatly knitted socks. Looking for a comb to wrangle her hair, Maggie opened the wardrobe doors to see something she didn't expect.

Dresses.

The dresses were simple in nature but seemed to gleam in the morning light. The fabrics were very fine and were comforting to touch. Several boxes lined the floor of the wardrobe, and out of curiousity, Maggie untied the satin bow to unearth the treasures within. There were hats. Countless hats with simple designs. Dried and aged flowers were carefully placed on each one. They were absolutely beautiful.

_Is Horrible Howl also a Mad Hatter?_ She mused to herself. Then her hands ran cold, _perhaps these are relics of all the hearts he has eaten!_

She shook her head, placed the hat back in the box, and returned to her search of a brush. She was successful, and pulled her locks back into two French braids ending just past her shoulders. Maggie walked up to the full-length mirror, struck a pose or two immediately feeling defeated. _Hopeless_, she thought to herself. _Well, at least Howl won't eat my heart._

She emerged from her room and placed her hands on her hips. Calcifer turned to look at her as she entered the room and burst out laughing.

"Couldn't find a dress to your fancy, little witch?" Calcifer wheezed.

Markl turned to see her and his eyes got wide. "Are those, mine?" he asked with an incredulous tone in his voice.

Maggie blushed, "Oh! I'm sorry, I just couldn't get back into my clothes yet, they're soaked! I can change into one of the dresses in my room if it's a prob-"

"NO!" Markle screamed, causing Maggie to jump. Immediately Markl looked embarrassed. "No, I mean – It's fine to use those if you want. I just – I wasn't – Don't… just don't wear the dresses!"

"O-Okay," Maggie stammered.

An awkward silence filled the room. Granny walked over and put her arm in Maggie's, "Come on over here, dear, let's get some food in you."

Maggie smiled, nodded, and followed the elderly witch to the table. Markl cut them each a slice of bread and set butter and jam on the table. Maggie looked to the cubbards and saw eggs, bacon, sausage, and even some fish available. Her stomach rumbled and the old witched looked at her with knowing eyes.

"Markl is too scared to use the fire," The Witch whispered all too loudly in her ear, glancing at Markl with harsh eyes. "You would think the apprentice of the Horrible Wizard Howl would at least be able to cook a couple ladies a decent meal, the useless pest!"

Markl rolled his eyes but didn't engage with any of the Witch's verbal jabs. Maggie smiled and looked at him, "Do you want some eggs, Markl?"

Markl almost choked on his stale toast, "Um, the only fire in here is Calcifer. He doesn't listen to me or Granny. Calcifer only answers to Howl."

"That's right, Missy! Don't get any ideas," The fire demon warned, sending sparks into the air for good measure.

"Hm," Maggie said. "You don't have to use Calcifer to make the breakfast, you know."

Markl looked at the girl with raised eyebrows, and was surprised to see her get up and collect six eggs and slices of bacon and placed them on the table. She collected 3 plates, and organized each with two eggs, a slice of bread and two slices of bacon each. She reached out her open hand to Markl, "Could I borrow a piece of chalk?"

Stunned for a moment, Markl jumped up from the bench seat and dug into his pocket. He placed the white chalk in her small hand.

"Thank you, Markl," She said with a smile.

Maggie then drew three magic circles, one in front of each of them at the dining table. She then connected them forming a triangle and placed her hands in the center. She took a deep breath, her feet rising from the floor. The room felt warm, building with intense energy. Then, it happened.

Eggs broke out of their shells and began sizzling next to the bacon on each of the plates. The bacon flipped and the bread toasted. Markl stood with jaw hanging loosely and the Witch clapped as the girl put on a show. The chalk lines on the table began to fade and Maggie's feet came back to the floor and the room became very still. With a satisfied sigh, Maggie stood placing her hands on her hips.

"There, how's that?" she smiled brightly at Markl.

Markl looked at the girl before him in surprise and awe. She smiled then looked back at her plate and sat down. The Witch of the Waste was doting on her with such pride. Markl sat down, and started to eat the meal before him.

"Oh! Calcifer!" Maggie said, jumping out of her seat and grabbing another plate. She carefully slid one of her eggs and slice of bacon onto the new dish bringing it over to the hearth. She smiled at the fire demon and set the plate at the edge of the stone border.

"Heh, I thought you were going to forget about me!" The fire demon whined. "I do all the work around here and no one seems to remember me AT ALL!"

The girl smiled at him, "Maybe next time we can cook it together, Calcifer. I'm sure the food would be even more wonderful if you helped me make it."

"Yeah, yeah – whatever, lady," He said between mouthfuls of food. "Next time."

"I'll take that as a promise then," Maggie said with a wink.

Markl smiled. She was clever, he'd give her that. He liked her spark.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hey Y'all! Here it is, long overdue chapter 4. Thank you for your patience and for your sweet reviews, favorites and follows! I appreciate all of the support for Maggie's journey.

Yes, I know. No meeting between our leading lady and Howl. It's coming, don't you worry.

I hope you are all having a lovely start to June. We finally got some awesome weather this weekend!

Best,

JMaine


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello, Readers! Hope all is well in your lives. I just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to those who have followed/favorited/reviewed the story! The support is really motivating, and I am so pleased you enjoy the story enough to keep reading it. So thank you - you are all so wonderful in every way ^.^ **

**Enjoy Chapter 5! **

Chapter 5

Markl, the Witch, and the traveler ate their breakfast with more consistent conversation and fewer uncomfortable silences as their meal progressed. Once Maggie had displayed her abilities, Markl peppered her with questions regarding her magical resume.

"So, do you have a mentor?" Markl asked, with wide eyes, leaning across the wooden table with eager anticipation.

"I wouldn't call her that," the girl sighed. "I studied a bit under my grandmother – it was not a formal mentorship what-so-ever. We really didn't see eye-to-eye…"

"Wow!" Markl exclaimed. "I study under Master Howl – he's taught me a lot, though, he can be rather absent at times. Granny has helped fill in some blanks though."

"He's the worst student I've ever seen," Granny groaned. "Markl has the attention span of a teaspoon and finds no joy in acquiring a solid basis of knowledge before attempting extravagant spells."

"Granny!" Markl exclaimed. "Don't talk about me like I'm not even here! I DO have a good base, you just refuse to teach me anything EXCITING!"

Magnolia took the opportunity to chew her food and take in the scene before her. This is not at all what she expected from Horrible Howl's henchmen. They seemed more like a dysfunctional family rather than evil-doers. As Markl and Granny's conversation got a bit more heated, laughter overcame her. When she giggled, there was a sharp, stabbing pain in her ribs. Magnolia clutched her right side and held her breath. Granny and Markl both looked over to her with deep concern across their flushed faces.

"Maggie, dear?" The old witch said, voice heavy with concern. "Are you unwell?"

"Aye, sorry. I took a dreadful fall out in the Wastes," She sucked in another painful breath through pursed lips. "The bruise is rather dreadful, I'm sure I cracked the rib."

"Oh my dear," Granny said. "Let us see it then."

Magnolia untucked the right side of her shirt, raising it just enough to expose her lower ribs. Granny and Markl gasped at the deep purple and blue bruise. "Well then Markl," The Witch said with a gleam in her eye. "Fix her up!"

"What?! Me?!" Markl yelled. "Maggie, why don't you fix it up yourself? You seem to know plenty…"

"I don't know too much Markl," Maggie said, slightly embarrassed by her lack of ability. "I honestly only know a few spells of necessity. You know, like cooking food without a fire or bewitching a broom or two to help get the chores done."

A soft 'oh' left Markl's lips. An uncomfortable silence befell the room, until…

"Hey, Mags," Calcifer said from his cozy hearth. "There's a salve that will help your rib up on the counter there."

Maggie's gaze followed his flaming finger to a small jar on the wooden counter-top. "Oh," Maggie said. She got up from the bench and made her way to the counter behind the table. She opened the jar and the smell of cinnamon hit her nose. Carefully, she took another whiff of the contents of the jar, trying to rule out any possibility of being turned into some kind of animal or root-based vegetable. Calficer seemed to sense her uncertainty.

"It's honestly just a medicinal salve, kid."

_Well,_ she thought to herself. _I haven't lost my heart yet – it's worth a try._

Maggie lifted the side of her shirt to find Markl at her side. "I can put it on, if you want."

Maggie smiled at him and nodded, grateful for the extra set of hands. Markl applied a generous layer of the salve, making Maggie gasp with the sudden chill from the cream-like substance. The chill was soon replaced by a warm, tingling sensation that seemed to dull the ache that appeared to persist after her bout of giggles.

Maggie turned to Calcifer, "Thank you, Calcifer! It feels better already."

"Don't thank _me_, kid."

Markl got up, and retrieved a roll of cloth bandages. "Let's put this over it," he suggested. "The effects will last longer."

With a smile, Maggie held her shirt to expose her stomach and low back. She saw a small blush grace Markl's cheeks as he got to work, wrapping the bandage snuggly around her lower ribs. "Thank you, Markl." She said with a smile.

He nodded, then moved to clear the dishes from the table and began washing them. Maggie was about to help, when Calcifer's voice interrupted her.

"Howl left me a message to deliver to you, Miss Maggie."

Maggie stopped, feeling the color drain from her face. "He knows I'm here?"

Calcifer huffed, sending a bit of ash into the air, "Of course he knows you're here. He has permitted you to stay here as long as you contribute to the castle to earn your keep."

"I can stay?" Maggie asked, dumbly.

Calcifer rolled his eyes dramatically, "Yes, girl! Weren't you listening? Look, you have some pretty basic responsibilities while you're here. You are to maintain the upkeep of your room, keep those fools fed," He gestured towards the old witch and Markl, "Keep me well fueled, and help Markl with our customers."

Maggie's jaw still hung loosely agape. _I wander in from the Waste and now I'm an employee of Howl?_

"That is," Calcifer said, voice sounding a bit more sullen. "If you want to stay."

Maggie stood there, finally closing her mouth. If she stayed here, she could see the world. Get some real training. Help people in need. If she stayed here, she'd be working for Horrible Howl and no doubt enabling his devilish ways. _Is he really so horrible?_ Maggie wondered to herself. She looked over to Markl, still washing dishes but listening intently to her discussion with Calcifer. She looked to the old witch, who pretended to be much more interested in cleaning her ears than the conversation at hand. The whole castle appeared to be waiting for her answer. After another moment, she broke the silence.

"Well, hell," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "I guess I can do all of that – I'm rusty in the magic department though, and I'm _less_ than qualified for this job…"

"That's okay!" Markl shouted, sending soap into the air as he hastily wiped off his hands on a rag. "I can catch you up! And Master Howl is the best teacher in the world, he really is! You just gotta listen to his weird gibbering, but it does start to make some sense after a while. Oh, and he can be a bit of a pompous ass, but don't take it personally."

Maggie was about to respond when there was a sounding bell and a click. Maggie turned in time to see the colorful dial by the door switch from green to red. "Kingsbury door," Calcifer announced.

"Perfect," Markl said, grabbing onto Maggie's hand. "Your training starts now – we have our first customer."

He dragged her over to the desk with cabinets above it. It was a mess of magical writing on parchment and little parcels and jars were all about the stacks of books. Markl opened the cabinet revealing more parcels, little bags, and jars with labels. _They have quite the cliental_, Maggie thought to herself as Markl opened a ledger carefully locating the name he was expecting. As he flipped through the pages, Maggie saw a ridiculous number of locations they were servicing. Kingsbury, Porthaven, Market Clipping (though most of those were crossed out)… _How do they-?_

"Hey, keep up!" Markl shouted, donning a deep blue cloak and putting the hood up. A few giggles escaped Maggie's lips as Markl disguised himself with a massive silver-grey beard. "Hey, I'm practicing."

Maggie placed a hand to her lips, "Very good, kind sir." She gave him a slight curtsy to emphasize her sassy tone. She got what she would like to think was a smirk beneath the bushy facial hair.

She followed Old-Man Markl towards the door as he turned the dial from green to red. He opened the door, and much to Maggie's surprise, they were no longer looking out into the Waste any more. Before her stood a strong-looking man not much older than her and a bustling street behind him. Car horns honked and the smell of fuel found its way to Maggie's nose in the castle. Her jaw fell agape. _What a fantastic portal, _she thought in amazement.

"Good day, sir" The man spoke. "I'm here to pick up my spell from the Wizard Pendragon. Is it ready?"

The exchange occurred, Markl using a shakier version of his own voice to sell the elderly-disguise. The man in the doorway caught her eye. "M'lady," He said removing his cap. Maggie smiled with a bit of color rising to her cheeks, giving the man a friendly wave from the top of the stairs. Markl bid the man farewell and shut the door.

"Boy, you're going to be trouble," Markl said walking past her while removing his hood. The ridiculous facial hair disappeared as well. "Come on, we have a lot of work to do."

And so, Maggie continued to follow Markl as if she were his shadow for the rest of the day. Around noon she made them all lunch, then they continued to work on spells for the upcoming day. Maggie even got her hands dirty a couple times, turning the dial on the magical door, creating a spell to help a sail capture the wind, gather random ingredients for a salve Markl was making for a fisherman's wife. It was fun, but time consuming. When she got in the way, Markl would hand her a book on magical concepts and use that the old witch would help her go through. By the end of the day, when dinner was done and dishes were clear, she pulled a chair up to the hearth. Markl put out the lanterns and tucked the old witch into her bed.

"Hey Maggie," Markl said from the bottom of the stairs. "You'll stick around a while, right?"

Maggie smiled and turned to face the boy on the stairs, "Yes, Markl. Until Horrible Howl kicks me out or eats my heart!"

"He's not like that, you know," Markl said, a sad look came over his face. "He's really not a bad guy. Goodnight, Maggie."

"Goodnight, Markl!" Maggie said, hoping that she didn't offend him. She was scared, and tried to play it off with humor towards his absent master.

Maggie opened the book of basic spells and wizardry and placed it on the edge of Calcifer's hearth. He creeped forward to give her some light to read the passages and admire the magical figures.

"You don't have to learn it all in one night, kid," Calcifer said gently, looking up at her tired but eager eyes. "There's always tomorrow."

"Oh, I know," Maggie yawned deeply. "I just want to be of more help tomorrow – less dead-weight, you know?"

Maggie rested her chin on her forearms as she read the book with Calcifer. Her eyelids grew heavy, and Calcifer watched as sleep overcame the young girl. He smiled when her head tilted to the side, resting safely on her arms as a pillow. She was beautiful, truly. His fire brought out the red in her strawberry-blonde hair, and the freckles lightly sprinkled across her nose and cheeks were endearing. Her breathing was soft and steady, and her pink lips were slightly parted.

The dial on the door clicked to the black wedge, and the door creaked open. Howl made his way up the stairs, sloughing off his exuberant coat and tossing it over the railing. When he got to the top of the stairs, he saw the sleeping girl, book open, and fire demon watching over her.

"You were out late," Calcifer whispered snarkily.

Howl moved closer to the hearth, placing his hand on the back of the girl's chair. "How was her first day?"

"She made all the meals, using magic each time," Calcifer reported. "She even helped Markl with some of the customers today. She knows some, but there are definite gaps in her knowledge, Howl. She's going to need a better mentor than the boy."

"Hn." Howl said, moving his eyes down to the girl. "So she chose to stay."

Howl slid the book carefully out from under the girl's arms, walking to the desk to grab a small piece of thread to hold her place. He opened her bedroom door and lit the lantern and returned to the sleeping girl. He leaned her back carefully into his arms, picking her up easily – bridal style. Her head slid onto his chest and he heard a gentle sigh. Maggie shifted in her arms until she had a loose grasp on his tunic-shirt. He hummed to himself as he moved her to her room.

As he laid her down on the bed, he saw her eyes open slightly. Through her sleepy haze she mumbled, "Thank you." And fell back into a slumber.

Howl removed the girl's grip from his shirt, pulled the quilt up around her and returned to the now vacant chair by the fire. "I will be in house tomorrow," Howl announced to Calcifer.

"Huh, finally going to handle your responsibilities, eh?" the fire said in a snarky tone. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Now Calcifer," Howl said in a demeaning tone. "I have a new student! I wonder if she'll dare to stay once she meets Horrible Howl in the flesh."

Howl leaned back in the chair, rocking it onto its rear legs as he kicked his legs up onto the hearth. He lounged there, hands supporting his head as he leaned back. Calcifer rolled his eyes, hard.

"Don't underestimate the girl,"Calcifer said, the snores of the Witch resonating throughout the room making Howl groan.

"I can't listen to this," Howl said as he gestured to the old woman. "Heat some hot water for my bath."

Calcifer sighed and complied, too tired to come up with a snarky retort.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I know, I know... she hasn't met Howl yet... BUT they're going to meet next chapter… I PROMISE! do you think it's going to go well? Or is Horrible Howl going to earn the name?

Hope you're having a lovely start to the week!

Until next time,

JMaine


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